Tier 2 ICT Sponsor Licence

Written by Arshad Mahmood

To apply for Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence, you must show a direct link by common ownership or control with the overseas entities from which you will bring migrants to the UK. Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer (ICT) is for multinational companies which need to transfer employees to the UK. For a Tier 2 ICT Migrant to be sponsored by the UK Tier 2 ICT sponsor, the migrant worker must have been working outside the UK in the overseas entity for last 12 months.

Once you have submitted your online application, you must then send to the Home Office, UKVI all of the following to validate your application. A valid application must:

contain the original submission sheet (not a certified copy), which has been signed and dated by the Authorising Officer (all pages must be sent); and

contain all of the documents listed on the submission sheet as mandatory documents (originals or certified copies); and

all be sent in together within 5 working days of completion of the electronic application.

To get a Tier 2 ICT licence, you must apply to the Home Office, UKVI, supplying specified documents to prove that you are suitable and eligible. The Home Office, UKVI will carry out appropriate checks before deciding whether to grant the sponsor licence. The Home Office, UKVI considers an application to join the sponsor register by assessing whether you meet the relevant requirements. If your application for Tier 2 ICT Sponsor Licence is accepted by the Home Office, UKVI, you will be issued with SMS login ID and password to manage your sponsor licence online. Your sponsor licence will be valid for 4 years and can be renewed online prior to the expiry of the licence.

Allocation Of Tier 2 ICT Certificates Of Sponsorship (CoS)

Once you have been granted a Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence you will be able to assign certificates of sponsorship (CoS) to migrants who wish to come to, or stay in the UK to work as Tier 2 ICT Migrants. The Home Office, UKVI will decide how many certificates of sponsorship (CoS) you will be allowed to assign under Tier 2 sponsorship licence.

For migrants, being assigned a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) is an essential part of qualifying for entry clearance (if they are outside the UK) or leave to remain (permission to extend their stay while in the UK). But there are also other requirements set out in the immigration rules that they must meet. They must score enough points, and are likely to be refused if there is anything in their personal or immigration history that suggests that their presence in the UK is not desirable.

Duties As A Tier 2 ICT Licenced Sponsor

As a Tier 2 ICT licensed sponsor you must comply with certain duties, including, but not restricted to, a duty to inform the Home Office, UKVI if the Tier 2 ICT Migrant does not turn up for work, or if he is absent without permission for a significant period. You must also keep proper records of the migrants you sponsor, including contact details and a copy of their biometric residence permit (BRP), and supply any documentation to the Home Office, UKVI on request.

The Home Office, UKVI will monitor your behaviour and compliance with your duties once you have been granted Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence. In particular the Home Office, UKVI will:

set a limit on the number of certificates of sponsorship (CoS) you can assign as a Tier 2 ICT sponsor, and review your performance after you have assigned a certain number;

make visits, pre-arranged or not, to check compliance; and

refer cases for civil penalty action to be taken where the Home Office, UKVI find evidence that you have breached the illegal working regulations.

Tier 2 ICT Sponsor Licence Rating

You will get an A-rated licence if your application for Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence is approved.

A-rating - full sponsor licence

An A-rated licence lets you start assigning certificates of sponsorship (CoS) and your business will be listed in the register of sponsors.

Downgrading to B-rating

Your A-rated licence may be downgraded to a B-rating at a later stage if you don’t continue to meet your sponsor duties. If this happens, you won’t be able to issue new certificates of sponsorship (CoS) until you have made improvements and upgraded back to an A-rating.

You will still be able to issue certificates of sponsorship (CoS) to workers you already employ who want to apply for Tier 2 ICT Extension.

Upgrade to an A-rating

You need to follow an ‘action plan’ provided by the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to upgrade your Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence. At the end of the action plan you’ll be upgraded to an A-rating if you complete all the steps and there’s nothing else you need to improve. You’ll lose your Tier 2 ICT licence if you don’t complete all the steps.

If you need to make other improvements, you’ll be given another B-rating and will have to follow a new action plan.

You can only have 2 B-ratings in the 4 years that your licence is valid. You’ll lose your licence if you still need to make improvements after your second action plan.

Why Sunrise Solicitors For Tier 2 ICT Sponsor Licence Application?

The immigration solicitors at Sunrise Solicitors are experts in dealing with application to the Home Office for Tier 2 ICT Sponsor Licence. The quality of our service is self-evident from the clients' reviews about the service provided by our immigration lawyers. You can contact us if you are seeking legal help from immigration lawyers in London in relation to your application for Tier 2 ICT Sponsor Licence and our immigration solicitors will provide you fast, friendly, reliable and professional immigration service.

If instructed to represent you regarding your application for Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence, the work to be done by our immigration solicitors will include the following:

Taking instructions from you about the identified migrant worker who is to be transferred to the UK business and advising you whether or not the job role is skilled to the required level for the position to be filled through sponsorship through Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence;

Advising the steps to be taken prior to submission of the Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application;

Advising on the documentary evidence to be submitted in support of the Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application;

Considering the contents of the documentary evidence to be submitted in support of your Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application and discussing the same with you;

Discussing your Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application in detail with you and advising you about the weaknesses and strengths of your application for sponsorship licence;

Completing the online application form for Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application to be submitted online;

Preparing a detailed cover letter and providing the relevant information as required by the Home Office in relation to the business, the common ownership link between the UK business and overseas business, the details of the identified migrant worker who is to be transferred to the UK business under the intra company transfer scheme, the relevant SOC code, the salary to be paid to the migrant worker, the details of the Authorising Officer etc

Assisting you with sending the original documents to the Home Office, UKVI following submission of the online application for sponsorship licence within the specified time;

Liaising with the Home Office, UKVI for a timely decision on the Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application;

Protecting your interests while your application is pending with the Home Office, UKVI and keeping you informed of the progress on your sponsor licence application;

Advising on how you should handle the visit by the Home Office for compliance check before decision on the sponsor licence application and advising you on the sponsor duties including the record keeping duties as a sponsor;

Doing all the follow up work until decision is reached on the Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application by the Home Office, UKVI;

Advising you on the next steps to be taken upon receipt of the decision on the application.

Our Fee For Tier 2 ICT Sponsor Licence Application

We will charge you a fee from £1500.00 + VAT for our professional immigration services in relation to your application for Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence. The agreed fee will depend on the complexity of the matter and the casework involved in the matter.

The agreed fee will cover all our work until decision by the Home Office, UKVI on the Tier 2 ICT sponsor licence application. However, it is pertinent to note that the agreed fee will not cover any disbursements to be incurred by us on your behalf e.g. the Home Office, UKVI fee for the licence application etc.